Apparatus for extracting volatile matter



Feten dunne 12, 1Q.

UNET@ Sliq rattan CARL POSTEIL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN SHALE REDUCTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF D .i

AIPPRATUS FOR EXTRACTING VOLATILE MATTER.

Application led January 12, 1922. Serial No. 528,870.

To all whom it may comm.'

Be it known that l, CARL PosTEL, a citizen of Germany, residing in the cit of New York, county of New York, and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for EX- tracting Volatile Matter, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for extracting volatile matter from oil bearing shale and like material carrying volatile matter and has for its object to provide an apparatus for this purpose which will be relatively inexpensive to construct and operate and will be e'ective to maintain an even, uniform and relatively low temperature throughout the treatment necessary to extract the volatile.

With the above described objects and other objects hereinafter described in View, my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed. y

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention and Figure 2 is a cross sectional view near the forward end of the rotary retort.

In the drawings, 1 is a cylinder of metal preferably iron or steel open at both ends and having its ends adapted. t0 rotate in bearings 2 and 3 suitably supported by any convenient means (not shown) and inclined at a slight angle to the horizontal. Carried on the exterior of this cylinder and extending nearly 'to its ends is an outer cylinder 4 spaced a substantial distance from the exterior of cylinder 1 except at its ends, which are inwardly flan d and secured to the inner cylinder. ear its end nearest the upper end of cylinder y1 the outer cylinder 4 is provided with a filling opening closed by a screw plu 5. The space between the inner cylin er 1 and the outer' cylinder 4c is filled with molten metal such as lead or other metal fusible at a relatively low temperature.

Surmounting the inner cylinder 1 and outer cylinder 4, which to ther constitute a rotary retort, is an anc osing stationary plate 6 here shown a cylindrical for the 'purp of co rie heat supplied by any convenient means such as burner 7 for gas or liquid fuel.

On the interior of the cylinder 1 is arranged an angle iron 8 extending longitudinally. More than one of these angle irons may be used if desired.

Secured to the bearing 2 at the upper end of the retort is a hopper 9 adapted to contain a considerable quantity of the material to be treated. A sliding gate 10 carried by a wall of the hopper extends in front of the open upper end of the retort nearly to its .lower edge leaving an opening 1-1 for admission of the material to be treated, the size of this opening being regulated by adjusting the gate up or down.

Secured to the bearing 3 at the lower end of the retort is a discharge chute 12 into which spent material is discharged from the lower open end of the cylinder 1, the lower end of this discharge chute leading to any convenient receptacle (not shown). From the upper closed end of the discharge chute a pipe 13 leads to a suction device here shown as a rotary pump 14 from which a pi e 15 leads to a condenser 16.

il`he cylinder 1 is provided near its lower end with a sprocket wheel 17 which is connected by sprocket chain 18 with a sprocket wheel 19 which, through suitable gearing, is driven by any convenient motive power such as the electric motor 20, shown.

In operation the space between the inner and outer cylinder l and 4 is filled with molten lead, or other metal, which is kept in molten condition by the heat from burner 7 or the other heating means used. The hopper 8 being filled with 'dnely divided shale or other material to be treated, feeds by gravity through the opening llvinto the interior of the cylinder l, the mass of material in the hopper sealing this opening against entrance of air or .escape of the gases or vapors generated in the retort. As

ythe shale, or other material passes by gravity down the cylinder it is subjected to an even temperature which is kept uniform throughout the length of the retort by the molten lead, which, being liquid distributes the heat evenly thus avoiding any tendency to overheating at any point or any drop ot' temperature below that desired, at any point. The angle iron 8 serves to agitate the shale as it passes down the interior of the cylinder and prevent it from aeculat- I the cylinder rotates and allowlng it to fall able loss from continuous use.

rthrough the heated gases within the cylinder aids in insuring that each particle of lhe shale will be separately subjected to the eat.

The gases and vapors generated by the heat are drawn off by the exhaust pump 14 and are condensed in the condenser 16. The spent-shale falls from the lower end of the retort into the discharge chute, the lower end of which is suitably guarded against the entrance of air.

The molten lead being enclosed is not oxidized andl there is consequently no appreci- T'he rotation of the retort probably causes more or less movement of the molten lead and aids in the action of the connection currents b v which heat distributes through the liquid lead as in other liquids. v.

The inclination at which the retort is arranged depends somewhat on the length of the retort, the inclination of a relatively long retort being preferably greater than that of a relatively short retort.

The shale being subjected to an even, uniform temperature only slightly above that necessary. to keep the lead in molten condition, the volatile matter carried by it is completely extracted at a relatively low' temperature below that at which the volatiles tend to combine to formy xed gas, with the result that practicall all of the volatiles combine to form-con ensable "apors l While the apparatus is particularly adapted and intended for the treatment of and discharge of material to be treated, of a` closed jacket enclosing the main portion of the retort and carried thereby containing molten metal, means for applying heat to the exterior of the jacket to maintain the metal in moltencondition, means for rotating the retort and jacket to cause the heat applied to the jacket to be distributed evenly 'to all parts of the retort within the jacket, and means for drawing oil from the retort the vapors produced therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

@ARL rosTEL. 

